Solved! Hi my lenovo says Default boot device missing or boot failed. Insert recovery media and hit any key. Then select boot manager

Oct 7, 2018
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Default boot device missing or boot failed. Insert recovery media and hit any key. Then select boot manager to choose a new boot device or to boot recovery media
 
Solution
That error message is remarkably clear and means exactly what it says. The hard disk is dead or merely disconnected or corrupted, so the system has nothing to boot from. So it suggests a reasonable course of action: that you insert something else to boot from.

I mean for decades the message was things like:

General failure reading drive C
Abort, Retry, Fail?

or

Non-system disk or disk error
Replace and press any key when ready

I think you can agree those are a lot less friendly.

BFG-9000

Respectable
Sep 17, 2016
167
0
2,010
That error message is remarkably clear and means exactly what it says. The hard disk is dead or merely disconnected or corrupted, so the system has nothing to boot from. So it suggests a reasonable course of action: that you insert something else to boot from.

I mean for decades the message was things like:

General failure reading drive C
Abort, Retry, Fail?

or

Non-system disk or disk error
Replace and press any key when ready

I think you can agree those are a lot less friendly.
 
Solution
I well remember the plaintive question "Who is General Failure and why is he reading my hard disk".

Download the appropriate version of Windows and use a utility named Rufus to turn a memory stick or thumb drive into a bootabe device. Move that hard disk out and reinstall Windows on a better one. Then you can try retrieving your personal files.